I had a plan to go to Mount Tecumseh. Start early under dark and finish early afternoon so that I could go back to Calgary and attend club members only MEC discount event. But generous egg, bacon, and toast offer from my Canadian family, I couldn’t resist saying no and ended up chatting after. I had to change my plan to shorter hike, Turtle Mountain.

While I was away from Canada for 10 years trails in Crowsnest area definitely developed. Turtle is one of these. You can see rocks painted in yellow to indicate trailhead from parking spot. Follow the trail all the way up to waypoint “Sub Peak”. I guess many people decided to quit at the sub peak due to elevation loss if continue, the trail beyond the sub peak is not as defined, however you don’t need much trail from this point. Just to be careful with big cracks which seem to give up any time to create another land slide (page 4). (Not that you can start a land slide but I mean scrambling wise with route.)

It was a very special day for me. Part of the reason why I wanted to do a peak in Crowsnest Pass where I consider my home town in Canada, is because it was my 100th in 2010. Beginning of this year I set a goal, quest for 90 (Every activity in the Rockies counts. Multiple peaks day which peaks are not connected with ridge counts as multiple, if connected with ridge only counts as 1.) But by the end of September, 90 became too easy, so I bumped it to quest for 100!! Now that I completed 100 activities, I became greedier and I want to do 100 peaks in 2010 (Only successful ascents). I think I need 5 more for that…

02

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

Ridge to sub peak.

03

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

This is what I call Mini Crow because these rocks look like Crowsnest Mountain and Seven Sisters.

04

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

From sub peak to true peak, you have to lose some elevation. I am pretty sure I can push these rocks to create land slide. If that happens, rocks will roll all the way to highway 3 and peeps down there will all be panic. Then I will be laughing from top!!

05

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

Another crappy day in mountains. This is 6 in a row. But it was maybe the best day among 6.

06

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

From summit. Hummmm I didn't believe weather forecast saying only Crow get sunny periods. This time they were right.

07

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

Zoom in panorama on Flathead Range.

08

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

Another shot from the summit.

09

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

My tradition at Turtle. I always sit on edge and take picture. This time though it was panorama not just a regular picture.

10

Turtle Mountain 10 | 2010-11-14

If I went to Tecumseh like I planned. I would have been on Neptune again...